History Hit Podcasts

Great Wall of China

It's one of the most iconic structures in the world: The Great Wall of China.

But is it just one wall? And who built it and why? Today,...

Atlantis

The fictional island of Atlantis has intrigued and eluded us for millennia. First mentioned in the works of Plato, it's a story that captures our...

The Power of Medieval Icons

In the Middle Ages, how did art - particularly Christian icons - serve to connect humanity with heavenly realms?  How did such images spread...

The Celebrity Sex Worker of Ancient Greece

This is the story of one of the most notorious women of the Ancient world.

Phrynne was a sex worker in the 4th century BC who came from an...

Persia: Rise of the Sasanians

The Sasanians are renowned as one of Rome's most feared enemies. Founded in third-century Persia by an Iranian noble called Ardashir, their...

Irish in America: Poverty to Power

At least 23 of the Presidents of the United States can have their ancestry traced back to Ireland.

So why did this diaspora come to America?...

Diary of a Tudor Gentlewoman

Diaries written by gentlewomen in the mid-16th century are hard to find. Yet, they lived through an age of upheaval as old ways were effaced in...

The History of the RNLI

In the tempestuous waters of the 18th century, a revolutionary idea emerged from the depths of despair and necessity: the lifeboat. Born from the...

St Patrick: Pirates, Snakes and Goatees

He wasn't Irish. He didn't wear green. There were no snakes. So who was the real St Patrick? How did his myth grow? And how did he invent the...

Warfare in Ancient Greece

How did warfare work in Ancient Greece? The weapons and armour of the Greek hoplite are legendary, as are the warrior cultures of city-states like...

Artemis: Goddess of the Hunt

Artemis is best known as the goddess of the Hunt. But she is far more than just the famed huntress of Greek mythology - she is the patron of the...

Peasants' Revolt

The Peasants’ Revolt of 1381 was a public rebellion that sent revolutionary ripples across the entire medieval world. In a new video series...

Viking Sexuality

The Vikings have a fair claim to being the most overly-eroticised group of people in history. It's fair to say this is somewhat...

Lincoln: Love, Loss & Legacy

President and Commander-in-Chief at a major turning point in American History? Victim of a violent and public assassination? How do you remember...

Medieval Torture: The Dark History

This episode contains descriptions of execution and torture.

To be Hanged, Drawn & Quartered. Put on the Rack. Impaled on a spike. This list...

Trial of Charles I

In the mid-17th century, King Charles I of England was put on trial for treason against the sovereign state. Such a process involved a singular...

Supersonic Nazi Vengeance: V2 Rocket from Cautionary Tales

We're bringing you an episode of a podcast we think you'll love: Cautionary Tales with Tim Harford. At the height of World War Two, British...

The Walls of Babylon

The ancient metropolis of Babylon was famed for its wonders like the Tower of Babel and the mysterious Hanging Gardens. But few Babylonian...

Boudica: Queen of the Iceni

She's the warrior queen who took on the mighty Roman Empire, but who really was Boudica?

Separating facts from the myths we've read can be...

Real Medieval Women with Philippa Gregory

When we think about women in the Middle Ages, we know about Eleanor of Aquitaine or Hildegard of Bingen, but we are a lot less likely to think...

18th Century Graffiti: Sex, Murder & Rebellion

Whether it's a declaration of love, anger or rebellion against the government, graffiti can give us incredible insight into the social history of...